Long names call for shorthand.  Here is a list (by no means exhaustive) of acronyms for investment and finance-related entities, which you might come across in this blog or elsewhere:

• ACLI – American Council of Life Insurers. ACLI is an association of American life insurance carriers which promotes the life insurance industry to the public and deals with legislation on all levels of government as it relates to life insurance.  ACLI is based in Washington, D.C. and is an SRO.
• AICPA – American Institute of Certified Public Accounts. AICPA is the national professional organization for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in the United States.  AICPA is an SRO.
• CBOT – The Chicago Board of Trade. CBOT is an SRO.  A commodity exchange established in 1848 where both agricultural and financial contracts are traded. The CBOT originally traded only agricultural commodities such as wheat, corn, and soybeans. The CBOT currently offers options and futures contracts on a variety of products including gold, silver, US Treasury bonds, and energy.  The CBOT is part of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group.
• CFTC – The U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Established as an independent agency of the US government in 1974, the CFTC regulates U.S. derivatives markets, which includes futures, swaps, and certain kinds of options.

• FICC – Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, formerly Government Securities Clearing Corp. FICC is an agency that deals with the confirmation, settlement and delivery of fixed-income assets in the U.S. FICC is an SRO.
• FINRA – The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. FINRA is a government-authorized not-for-profit organization (aka SRO) that oversees U.S. broker-dealers.  Working under the supervision of the SEC, one of FINRA's tasks is to write and enforce rules governing the ethical activities of brokerage firms and brokers.
• FPA – Financial Planning Association. FPA is an SRO and the principal membership organization for CFP professionals, educators, financial services providers and students.
• NASD- The National Association of Securities Dealers. NASD was an SRO and predecessor of FINRA.
• SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is an independent agency of the United States federal government, which has primary responsibility for protecting investors, maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitating capital formation.
• NYSE – The New York Stock Exchange. A stock exchange located in New York City that is considered the largest securities exchange in the world.
• OCC – Options Clearing Corporation. The OCC is an organization that acts as both the issuer and guarantor for options and futures contracts. OCC is an SRO.